A good golf swing requires certain basic fundamentals to be successful; one being the way the golfer holds the club commonly referred to as the golf grip. The golf grip is the foundation of a good golf swing. Its primary purpose is to insure that the hands and wrist work together in order to transfer the force of the body and leg actions during the swing to the ball.
There are three golf grips commonly used: the Vardon (overlapping) grip (named for Harry Vardon), the ten-finger grip, and the interlocking grip. The difference between these three grips involves the placement of the little finger of the right hand and the index finger of the left (the hands are reversed for left handed players). Research suggests that no particular grip has a significant advantage with respects to the distance and accuracy of golf shots made by beginning golfers. Whether the golfer chooses the overlapping, the interlocking, or the ten finger grip, the fundamental principles required for executing a successful golf swing remain the same.
When a right handed golfer grips a golf club properly, the back of the left hand and the palm of the right hand should align with the club face and should face the target. The golf club is held primarily in the palm of the left hand and the fingers of the right hand. The thumb of the left hand is placed slightly right of the center of a center line of the shaft of the golf club. A “V” is formed by the index finger and the thumb of the left hand when it is placed on the shaft of the golf club. This “V” should substantially point towards the right shoulder. The right hand grips the golf club primarily along the palm side of the fingers. The palm of the right hand rests on the top of the left thumb with the left thumb substantially aligned parallel with the “lifeline” on the palm of the right hand. The golfer's choice to use the interlocking, the overlap, or the ten-finger grip determines the position of the index finger on the left hand relative to the “little finger” of the right hand. The remaining fingers of the right hand close around the grip of the club with the grip resting primarily within the fingers. The index finger and the thumb close around the shaft and gently touch each other. When the right hand is in the proper position, the thumb and the index finger will form another “V”. This “V” should also point to the right shoulder. When a golfer's hands grip the golf club properly, his or her hands should be kept firmly but not rigidly together thereby imparting an even, light pressure throughout the hands.
The golf grip has been touted by many professional golf teachers as the most important part of a golfer's golf swing. To execute a good golf swing, a golfer must rotate the golf club back away from the golf ball and then accelerate the club head down and through a line connecting the golf ball with a desired target. For the most part, a golfer wants to cause the golf ball to take a straight path towards a desired target. However, if the club head does not impact the ball squarely, spin may be imparted on the ball which may cause the ball to curve in its path depending on the direction of rotation. The kinematics of the club head during a swing may vary widely depending on how repeatable and true is a golfers swing path. The only contact a golfer has with the golf club is by way of his or her hands, therefore, finding and maintaining a correct golf grip is important in executing a good and repeatable golf swing.
Professional golf instructors know how to position a golfer's hands on the golf club when they are addressing the ball. However, because of the dynamics of the golf swing, many times it is not obvious if the golfer keeps his or her or her hands positioned correctly during the golf swing. The golfer may believe he is keeping his or her hands in a correct position while the ball flight may indicate that the golfer's grip is varying. To develop a correct and repeatable golf swing, the golfer needs to be able to grip the golf club correctly every time he addresses the ball and maintain his or her grip throughout the entire golf swing. If the golfer grips the club correctly and acquires the feel of maintaining the correct position during his or her swing, then muscle memory will develop that will ensure a more repeatable golf swing and thus a more repeatable ball flight.
There is, therefore, a need for a method and apparatus to aid golfers in finding and retaining the correct relative position of their hands at the beginning and throughout the golf swing.